In one aspect, the present invention relates to preventing the fouling of electrical insulators. In another aspect, the invention relates to devices useful in positioning and/or piercing a container.
In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a device useful in measuring charge buildup on an aerosol container as its contents are discharged.
Fluorocarbons have been widely replaced by flammable gases, such as propane and butane for pressurizing containers. A possible hazard in using hydrocarbon propellants for pressurizing containers is their flammability. The release of hydrocarbon propellants from a pressurized container into the atmosphere can lead to a combustible mixture of hydrocarbon and oxygen.
The sudden release of propellant and contents from an aerosol container charged with hydrocarbon propellant may exacerbate the danger of combustion by creating a static electrical charge on the container, which may discharge to a nearby ground and cause ignition of the hydrocarbon/air mixture. The industry is thus interested in measuring the electrical charge developed on a container by the sudden discharge of hydrocarbon propellant and contents from the container so that the combustion risk can be evaluated and reduced or eliminated.
For quantitative data, it would be extremely desirable to provide an apparatus for piercing a uniform-sized hole in a container in a uniform manner. For safety, it would be desirable that the device not provide an ignition source for the discharging hydrocarbon propellant. Because suddenly discharging the contents of an aerosol container is a messy procedure, a self-cleaning device would be extremely desirable. It would be further desirable to maintain the container in electrical isolation during discharge of the contents so that the developed charge could be drawn off the container and measured. It would be even further desirable to prevent the contents of the container from coming into contact with the container or its supporting structure and neutralizing or draining off the charge developed on the container and its supporting structure during the discharge of the container contents. Simplicity of structure, ease of maintenance, and sturdiness would also be attributes of such a device.